'First Take'

Guitar training DVD

$30.00

This DVD is a collection of Chet's short guitar examples. It includes several chord progressions and ideas for soloing over chords. There are several examples of Chet explaining how to play his most popular songs.

Many original photographs (signed by request) of Chet Catallo & the Cats are available through:Howard Koft: hkoft@rochester.rr.com

Reviews

CHETCATALLO&THECATS:FIRSTTAKE.One of this hometown’s favorite guitar players plays through a couple hours of mostly original tunes, accompanied by his regular band. The 14 tracks are all “first takes,” performed live. Catallo’s fine blend of fusion and R&B goes all the way back to his breakthrough years with Spyro Gyra. Catallo gets personal with the 13 originals, including “Wes Is More” (honoring the late guitarist Wes Montgomery) and “Rain in Spain” (paying homage to drummer Steve Gadd). The lone cover brings an ephemeral blues feeling to “Georgia on My Mind.” Catallo & the Cats will celebrate the CD release by performing at 8 p.m. Saturday at Water Street Music Hall. — Jack Garner (Rochester Democrat & Chronicle)

Night After Christmas Show (12/26)By on December 22, 2010 (used with Permission by Frank De Blase and ) You can't keep a good man down, or in this case, stop him from strapping on his guitar. After enduring life-saving spinal surgery earlier this year, six-time Grammy nominee Chet Catallo is on the road to all better. He's not quite there yet, but that's not stopping him from joining a host of friends for his annual after-Christmas concert. Artists like Andy Calabrese, Steve Curry, Vince Ercolamento, Charlie Curran, Jim Richmond, Peter Chwazik, Todd East, Eli Konikoff, and Ted Reinhardt will join this pioneering jazz guitarist to play, among other things, cuts off of Chet Catallo and the Cats new two-disc album, "First Take," which has been accepted for Grammy nominations in six categories. Frank De Blase (CITY Newspaper)

Chet Catallo at Water Street Music Hall on Sunday December 26th, 2010. Photo by Frank De Blase.
A very special Thank You from Chet to Frank De Blase and CITY Newspaper.

Run, swing, walkA wheelchair-bound Chet Catallo rolled triumphantly onto the stage at Water Street Music Hall Sunday, the night after Christmas, well on his way to recovery. Despite the severity of his condition (complications from spinal surgery), Catallo was in a great mood as he greeted the enthusiastic crowd. The gals in the new dance ensemble The Roc City Diamonds piqued some pre-show interest with a tasty “Sweet Charity” send-up and some bodacious booty shaking for the man of the hour.

Referring to his playing as the best therapy, Catallo launched into a spirited set with “It Doesn’t Matter,” a cut he penned off of Spyro Gyra’s 1979 “Morning Dance,” before digging deep into his new “First Take” LP. The band’s set grooved with a focused funk. Often bands will dig a groove so deep it induces whiplash and you can’t see over the edge — the funk plays them. Not Catallo; he and the boys showed the funk who’s boss.

The set was rhythmically exploratory and adventurous, with Catallo’s tasty licks countering the band’s back and forth with its own sweet call and response. Saxophonist/flutist Vince Ercolamento brought a sweet and smooth slickness to the proceedings, even when Catallo brought out his Signature Series Gibson with its decidedly nastier, biting tone. An early highlight was a seemingly impromptu walking blues with Catallo strolling through the rhythm changes alone as the band slowly gathered behind him, culminating in a soul-charged version of Robben Ford’s “Talk To Your Daughter.”

Twin keyboards, twin percussionists, twin horns, and a bass — with so many strings I swear the neck was wider than it was long — gave Catallo a solid backing, and the freedom to run and swing as this righteous cat learns to walk again. FRANK DE BLASE and CITY Newspaper)